Monday, April 27, 2015

Baltimore Activist Alert April 24 - 26, 2015

"I speak as an American to the leaders of my own nation. The great initiative in this war is ours. The initiative to stop it must be ours." - Martin Luther King Jr.

Friends, this list and other email documents which I send out are done under the auspices of the Baltimore Nonviolence Center. Go to www.baltimorenonviolencecenter.blogspot.com. If you appreciate this information and would like to make a donation, send contributions to BNC, 325 East 25th Street, Baltimore, MD 21218. Max Obuszewski can be reached at 410-366-1637 or mobuszewski [at] verizon.net.

2] – To obtain information how your federal legislators voted on particular bills, go to http://thomas.loc.gov/. Congressional toll-free numbers are 888-818-6641, 888-355-3588 or 800-426-8073. The White House Comment Email is accessible at http://www.whitehouse.gov/contact/.

3] – THE ORGANIZING LIST will be the primary decision-making mechanism of the National Campaign of Nonviolent Resistance [NCNR]. It will be augmented by conference calls and possibly in-person meetings as needed. It will consist of 1 or 2 representatives from each local, regional, or national organization (not coalitions) that wishes to actively work to carry out the NCNR campaign of facilitating and organizing nonviolent resistance to the war in Iraq. To join the ORGANIZING List, please send your name, group affiliation, city and email address to mobuszewski at Verizon dot net. Different local chapters of a national organization are encouraged to subscribe.

THE NOTICES LIST will include only notices of NCNR actions and related information and is open to any interested person to subscribe. It will be moderated to maintain focus & will include periodic notices about getting involved in NCNR national organizing. To join the NOTICES List, send an email message to mobuszewski at Verizon dot net.

4] – You can help safeguard human rights and fragile ecosystems through your purchase of HOCOFOLA Café Quetzal. Bags of ground coffee or whole beans can be ordered by mailing in an order form. Also note organic cocoa and sugar are for sale. For more details and to download the order form, go to http://friendsoflatinamerica.typepad.com/hocofola/2010/02/hocofola-cafe-quetzal-order-form-2010.html. The coffee comes in one-pound bags.

Fill out the form and mail it with a check made out to HOCOFOLA on or before the second week of the month. Be sure you indicate ground or beans for each type of coffee ordered. Send it to Francine Sheppard at 5639B, Harpers Farm Rd., Columbia 21044. The coffee will arrive some time the following week and you will be notified where to pick it up. Contact Francine at 410-992-7679 or FrancineMSW@aol.com.

5] – Two friends are looking to buy a house in Baltimore. Let Max know if you have any leads—410-366-1637 or mobuszewski@verizon.net.

6] – Enter a photo of your animal friend in the Maryland SPCA 2016 Calendar for $50. Each entry also includes one (1) free calendar! Participants can send photos after registration, so don't worry if you need a little extra time to find the purr-fect photo of Fluffy! To enter, go to www.mdspca.org/photo and use discount code "SPCAcalendar" during checkout, or contact Jennifer Mion at petcalendar@mdspca.org or 410-235-8826, ext. 133.

The 2016 Pet Calendar will be a full-color wall calendar, released in the fall of 2015. Thirteen of the best photos will be selected for the cover and pet-of-the-month pages. Photographs must be of animals, no people, and must be in color. High-resolution horizontal photos are preferred. Small photos, especially those taken by phones, are difficult to enlarge. All entered photos will appear in the calendar. A maximum of 400 photos will be accepted through May 15, 2015. The calendar is an important fundraiser for the Maryland SPCA. Proceeds benefit the needy and homeless animals in our care!

7] – Through Sat., Apr. 25, the 2015 Spring Days of Action (SDOA) theme is "Growing Stronger Together - Resisting the 'Drug War' Across the Americas." The “Drug War” is militarizing, incarcerating, and killing communities in Latin America and in the U.S., especially traditionally oppressed peoples. Tell Congress the War on Drugs must end.

The enforced disappearance of 43 students from Ayotzinapa, Mexico proved once again that the disastrous results of US military aid and training in Latin America are ongoing. Similarly, in Ferguson and other U.S. cities have reminded us that police militarization and the treatment of black and brown people as internal enemies are also major problems in the US, while putting into context what militarization looks like on the ground for so many in Latin America and beyond. Visit http://SOAW.org. Contact Arturo at arturo@soaw.org or call (202) 234-3440.

On Fri., Apr. 24 participate in Grassroots Lobbying, Direct Action, Critical Mass Bike Ride and an 8 PM Concert. Call office for more details at (202) 234-3440. The concert will feature Elena y los Fulanos, Fenomedon. On Sat., Apr. 25 from 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM, there will be an SOA Watch Forum and Strategy Session at the University of District of Columbia David A. Clarke School of Law, 4340 Connecticut Ave. NW.

SOA Watch is an independent organization that seeks to close the US Army School of the Americas, under whatever name it is called, through vigils and fasts, demonstrations and nonviolent protest, as well as media and legislative work. SOA Watch is a nonviolent grassroots movement that works to stand in solidarity with the people of Latin America and the Caribbean, to close the SOA/WHINSEC and to change oppressive U.S. foreign policy that the SOA represents.

8] – The United States has been a leader in the use of drones, but the absence of clear policy guidelines and a well-articulated strategy has prompted controversy over key legal and ethical issues. Questions of proper oversight and accountability for drone proliferation and use remain an issue of domestic and international contention.

In light of this continued debate, the Stimson Center – in cooperation with the Heinrich Böll Foundation North America – is convening an expert panel to discuss the challenges posed by drone proliferation, and the potential for developing common international standards to govern their use. The panel will highlight key ethical, legal and proliferation concerns that have been raised by government officials, industry and civil society in the United States and around the world, and will discuss possible approaches to establishing a political or legal framework to guide the transfer and use of drones.

The discussion on drone proliferation, and the potential for developing international standards to guide their sale, transfer, and use will take place at the Stimson Center, 1211 Connecticut Ave. NW, 8th Floor, WDC 20036 on Fri., Apr. 24 from 10 to 11:30 AM. RSVP at https://docs.google.com/forms/d/13CJcJ7EqGDoLMv-phmkQTylTVlCdKDUHz5cnw6JpKas/viewform.

The panelists are Rosa Brooks, Senior Fellow, New America; Professor of Law, Georgetown University Law Center, Elke Schwarz, Lecturer, Anglia Ruskin University, and Stephen Vladeck, Professor of Law, American University Washington College of Law.
Follow @StimsonCenter @StimsonMAB and @rachelstohl on Twitter for news and information on the event, and use #StimsonToday to join the conversation. Contact Shannon Dick at sdick@stimson.org.

9] – On Fri., Apr. 24 from noon to 1 PM, join the Dorothy Day Catholic Worker in a vigil urging the powers that be to abolish war and torture, to disarm all weapons, to end indefinite detention, to close Guantanamo, to establish justice for all and help create the Beloved Community! The vigil takes place at the White House on Pennsylvania Ave. NW. Contact Art @ artlaffin@hotmail.com or at 202-360-6416.

11] – Max will be selling books, vinyl, buttons, bumperstickers and more at the Johns Hopkins Spring Fair on Fri, Apr. 24 from noon to 8 PM, Sat., Apr. 25 from 10 AM to 8 PM and Sun., April 26 from 10 AM to 6 PM. My booth is #1 in the Upper Quad by the Eisenhower Library on the Homewood campus. Call 727-543-3227.

12] – There is usually a silent peace vigil on Fridays, from 5 to 6 PM, sponsored by Homewood Friends and Stony Run Meetings, outside the Homewood Friends Meetinghouse, 3107 N. Charles St. The next vigil is on Apr. 24, and it will remind us that War Is Not the Answer and that there is the need to stop torture, and prosecute the torturers.

13] – The Nonproliferation Treaty (NPT) entered into force in 1970 and includes the only existing legal mandate for nuclear disarmament. NPT Article VI calls for all signatories including the USA to negotiate: "a treaty on general and complete disarmament under strict and effective international control." Over 280 organizations--including Physicians for Social Responsibility--have endorsed a series of events in New York City to show public support for disarmament. PSR and Student PSR members will participate in the April 24-25 Peace and Planet conference and the Sun., Apr. 26 rally, interfaith service, march and peace festival.

On the eve of the 5-year Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty (NPT) Review Conference, thousands of people from around the globe will gather in New York City to demand a nuclear-free, peaceful, just and sustainable world. Activists, scholars, and students with anti-nuclear, peace, and environmental justice movements will call on the NPT Review Conference meeting at the United Nations to mandate the commencement of “good faith negotiations” for the complete elimination of the world’s nuclear arsenals, as required by the Treaty.

Peace and Planet events will kick off with an international conference on Fri., Apr. 24 from 6:30 to 9 PM & Sat., Apr. 25 from 9 AM to 7 PM at the historic Cooper Union, featuring speakers from more than a dozen countries. On Saturday, there will be a PSR-sponsored workshop: “The Humanitarian Impact Initiative” with speakers Shannon Gearhart, MD, Alfred Meyer of PSR-New York, and Martin Fleck, PSR Security Program Director. Go to http://www.peaceandplanet.org/conference-program/.

On Sun., Apr. 26 there are Peace and Planet Events in NYC. From 11 AM to 12:30 PM, there is an Interfaith Convocation for Nuclear Weapons Abolition at the Tillman Chapel of the Church Center at the United Nations, 777 First Ave. Then at 1 PM Rally in Union Square North, East 14th St., Park Avenue South & Broadway NYC 10003. At 2 PM, March starting at Union Square North. Finally, from 3 6 PM get over to the Peace Festival in Dag Hammarskjold Plaza, East 47th Street, 2nd Ave., NYC 10017, where millions of petition signatures will be presented to UN and NPT officials. The rally will launch a “Global Wave,” with participants symbolically waving goodbye to nuclear weapons. The Global Wave will travel west, by time zone, with public events scheduled in Papeete, Manila, Amman, Bethlehem, Stockholm, Paris, London, Sao Paulo and points in-between. An Interfaith Service will precede the rally. See http://www.peaceandplanet.org/.

14] – Come to the Moot Court Room, 5th Floor, 4340 Connecticut Ave. NW, WDC 20008 on Fri., Apr. 24 from 6:30 to 8:30 PM for Together Restoring Economic Empowerment (TREE). Bridge the gap between millennials and substantive plans of action, particularly in minority communities. They are excited about the potential change they can facilitate, and they want to excite others about TREE and our mission, which is why they are hosting this launch event. Go to http://www.washingtonpeacecenter.net/node/14751.

15] – 2015 O's Public Defenders Nights at Camden Yards continue. On Fri., Apr. 24 at 7:05 PM, the Orioles play Boston. Tickets are $13, and net proceeds will be shared among MdSPCA, Md Public Interest Law Program (MPILP), University of Baltimore Students in Public Interest Law (UBSPI), Maryland Legal Aid, Public Justice Center, Md. Criminal Defense Attorneys' Assn. (MCDAA), NACDL's Foundation for Criminal Justice,
Association for the Public Defender of Maryland (APDM), and the Norm Uziak memorial children's scholarship fund. For tickets contact Lou Curran at lcurran@opd.state.md.us or 410-499-8899.

16] – In April 47 years ago, Dr. Martin Luther King delivered his famous last speech “I’ve Been to the Mountaintop,” which inspired a nation before his assassination. In his speech, he challenged the injustice of poverty experienced by sanitation workers in Memphis and calls us to action to be responsible for making America a better nation. We will celebrate Dr. King’s legacy and continue the dream by highlighting the injustices past trade deals have inflicted on families, workers, and the environment. On Fri., Apr. 24 from 7:30 to 9:30 PM, come to the Cedar Lane Unitarian Church, 9601 Cedar Lane, Bethesda to continue to make a stand for communities and the environment. Preserve the legacy of Dr. King by challenging injustice and disparities at the “Stop Fast Track for the Trans-Pacific Partnership” Town Hall.

The Cedar Lane Unitarian Church’s Environmental Task Force has open its doors to the AFL-CIO, Communication Workers of America, Chesapeake Sustainable Business Council, Food & Water Watch, We are CASA, and the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy, and the Sierra Club to have an interactive Town Hall "Stop Fast Track for the Trans-Pacific Partnership." Each panelist will discuss how trade deals impact our daily lives while highlighting tools we can use to build a new model of trade. Following, there will be a moderated discussion led by leaders from labor, environmental, food sovereignty, small business, and immigrant communities to discuss the importance of opposing fast track for the Trans Pacific Partnership. Email Mgoines@aflcio.org.

17] – There is an opportunity to participate in ballroom dancing, usually every Friday of the month, in the JHU ROTC Bldg. at 8 PM. Turn south on San Martin Dr. from the intersection of Univ. Parkway and 39th St. Drive on campus by taking the third left turn. The next dance will be Apr. 24. Call Dave Greene at 410-599-3725.

18] –The National Museum of the American Indian, Rasmuson Theater, Independence and 4th St. SW, WDC on Sat., Apr. 25 from 9:45 AM to 8:30 PM presents a national conversation by hosting a daylong symposium, History, Rebellion and Reconciliation: Communities Mobilized for Social Change. Admission is free and open to the public; however, seating is on a first-come, first-served basis and reservations are recommended. Reserve your free tickets by visiting Eventbrite. Please note if you wish to attend all panels, be sure to reserve a ticket for each panel. View the daylong symposium at Ustream. A dialogue on social media will be held throughout the symposium. The public may follow the museum on Twitter @NMAAHC to participate in the discussion using #HRRlive or #WordsMatter. Email NMAAHCpubpgms@si.edu or call (202) 633-1000.

19] –If you love music and want to help spread the word about an Anti-Corruption Campaign, Represent.Us will be at the Charm City Folk and Bluegrass Festival in Druid Hill Park on Sat., Apr. 25 and the group needs volunteers. If you volunteer, you will get FREE access to the festival. Volunteer shifts will run from 10 AM to 3 PM and 2 to7 PM. If you’re interested in volunteering for one of those shifts, email Christi at Represent.Baltimore@gmail.com.

20] – Each Saturday, 11 AM – 1 PM, Chester County Peace Movement holds a peace vigil in West Chester in front of the Chester County Courthouse, High & Market Sts. Go to www.ccpeace.org. Email ccpeacemovement@aol.com.

21] – At Native Foods Café, 1150 Connecticut Ave., WDC on Sat. Apr. 25 from 11:30 AM to 2 PM, hear from the founder, Aviram Rozin, who will speak about Sadhana Forest, a Vegan Volunteer Community. He is here from India, and his nonprofit addresses issues of deforestation, food security, and climate change in India, Haiti and Kenya. Visit https://www.facebook.com/events/425667364271156/.

22] – At Morgan State University, 1700 E. Cold Spring Lane, Baltimore on Sat., Apr. 25 from noon to 4 PM, join the African American Policy Forum and the University for a Town Hall Hearing on the challenges facing women and girls of color. RSVP at bit.ly/baltimoretownhall. Go to https://www.facebook.com/events/847387361964656/.

23] – Join the demonstrations on the last Saturday of the month, noon to 2 PM, in front of the drone war command center at the Horsham Air Guard Station, Route 611/Easton Road and County Line Road, Horsham, PA. Go to www.brandywinepeace.com/events. Call (610) 544-1818.

24] – Join Justice 4 Freddie Grey citywide protests on Sat., Apr. 25 at 1 PM at Riggs & Mount Sts. Activists will be gathering at the Western District Police Headquarters in the neighborhood where Freddie Grey was arrested. March to downtown Baltimore. There will be support vehicles for those who cannot walk the entire distance. Go to https://www.facebook.com/events/1573560009587646/.

25] – Strengthening Interfaith and Ecumenical Bonds is happening on Sun., Apr. 26 from 2:30 to 5 PM at Saint John Paul II National Shrine Auditorium, 3900 Harewood Road NE, WDC 20017. RSVP at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/apr-26-230pm-strengthening-interfaith-and-ecumenical-bonds-tickets-16644813084. Also there will be a discussion on Muslim, Christian and Jewish Initiatives and Resources for Addressing and Countering Violent Extremism including the Threat of ISIS.

26] – Free Your Voice is organizing a celebratory Concert for Fair Development the week of Earth Day on Sat., Apr. 25 from 3 to 5 PM at Benjamin Franklin High School, 1201 Cambria St., Baltimore 21225. It will highlight healthy and equitable alternatives including solar farm projects, zero waste reuse and recycling industries, and local agricultural initiatives.

Amanda Maminski, Curtis Bay resident, “We believe there are other alternatives to the proposed incinerator, alternatives that will not involve poisoning the already-toxic environment within and around the Curtis Bay community. One of those alternatives gaining popular community support is a solar facility, a solar farm, on the tract of land currently owned by FMC Corporation.” RSVP at http://stoptheincinerator-unitedworkers.nationbuilder.com/attend_the_concert_for_fair_development?utm_campaign=school_board&utm_medium=email&utm_source=unitedworkers. Email Greg Sawtell at greggalen@gmail.com.

27] – Enjoy the Ascension Towson Nicaragua Partnership Annual Variety Show on Sat., Apr. 25 at 7 PM at the Ascension Lutheran Church, 7601 York Road, Towson 21204. Come for a 6 PM potluck supper. Also there will be a reception after the concert. There is a plan to have some familiar faces join a guitar group for singing "Motherless Child" and "Colores." Free will donations support the missions of Faith and Hope Lutheran Church headquartered in Managua, Nicaragua. A portion of funds raised at the Variety Show will be allocated to an emergency drought relief effort in Northwestern Nicaragua. Call 410-825-1725 or check the Ascension web site under Partnerships.

28] – Celebrate Earth Day at Bloombars, 3222 11th St. NW, WDC 20010, on Sat., Apr. 25 from 7 to 9 PM. Watch “Within Reach: Journey to Find Sustainable Community” (2012, 98 min), produced by Derek Alan Rowe. It is a one-of-a-kind documentary about one couple's pedal-powered search for a place to call home. See http://tinyurl.com/within-reach-trailer. Mandy and Ryan gave up their jobs, cars, and traditional houses to 'bike-pack' 6500 miles around the US seeking sustainable community. Rather than looking in a traditional neighborhood, they begin to recognize that community is the secret ingredient to living sustainably and along the way they explore ecovillages, cohousing communities, co-op houses, communes, transition towns and a "green" town. Their journey asks the question: Is it possible for all of us to live in a sustainable way? After circling the country, they find that not only is it possible, but it’s already underway.

The screening will be followed by audience discussion and Q&A (via Skype) with producer Derek Alan Rowe - about what it means to "redefine community" in our own lives. The suggested donation is $10. Proceeds support BloomBars. Savor free organic popcorn. BloomScreen Indie Film Night is a weekly series of independent and foreign films, accompanied by discussions with filmmakers, experts and other guests. Go tohttps://www.facebook.com/events/1660440610844742/.

29] – Carol Berman and Barbara Larcom invite you to their birthday party on Sat., Apr. 25 from 8 to 11 PM at ST. JOHN’S CHURCH, 27th & St. Paul Sts., Baltimore 21218 (27th St. entrance). Enjoy great music, dancing, and wonderful food! Instead of presents, we welcome your donation to St. John’s. Proceeds will equally benefit Heart’s Place Services for the homeless and Casa Baltimore/Limay, a friendship-city project which promotes goodwill and sustainable development in San Juan de Limay, Nicaragua. RSVP to Carol at 410-435-0392 or Barbara 410-662-6292. This will help to plan for food and drink.

"The master class has always declared the wars; the subject class has always fought the battles. The master class has had all to gain and nothing to lose, while the subject class has had nothing to gain and everything to lose--especially their lives." Eugene Victor Debs